Filtering by Tag: fun

One of the things I love most about playing the violin is that I've been a part of so many beautiful weddings. I've played for hire, for friends, and for family, and each celebration is so unique and personal.

Photo by Georgette Hood,

This past weekend I had the honor and privilege of providing the ceremony music for my cousin John, and my new cousin Charli! Look how beautiful and happy they are.

Photo by Janna Leigh Photography - Macon, GA

The wedding was held at the The Blacksmith Shop in Macon, GA. The ceremony was outside in the courtyard and the reception was in a beautiful old building, formerly a blacksmith shop (hence the name!)

I've always enjoyed playing weddings, but it's even more special when it's someone you love. I prepped for the event by setting up my iPad with an AirTurn pedal. (Post on this later!) Long story short, it allows you to scan your music into the iPad so that you can easily turn pages with a foot pedal. This is helpful for weddings in particular, as you never know exactly how long it will take for everyone to get down the aisle. It also helps that the pages don't blow away during an outdoor wedding!

Charli and John were so laid back with their musical selections, so I pretty much had free reign to play what I wanted. The only specific request was that Charli wanted to walk down the aisle to Pachelbel's Canon in D. I played a lovely arrangement by Martha Yasuda. I chose this one as it's full of beautiful double stops so this piece doesn't sound naked as a solo violin piece.

For the recessional, I used Martha Yasuda's arrangement of Jean-Joseph Mouret's Rondeau. I also played for about 45 minutes before the wedding. When I can choose the music, I'm always very Bach-heavy, so I played lots of Bach. He wrote so many lovely pieces for unaccompanied violin that are perfect for a wedding. I added in some Beethoven, Handel, Massenet, and others. (If you're interested in a list of my wedding selections, email me or comment below!)

It was a lovely day and I am so happy to officially welcome Charli to our family! (Though you've been family since the day you walked in the door!)

Wow - I can't even begin to thank everyone who came out to the concert at Caribou Baby this past Sunday! I am so grateful to my friends and their little ones who came, and to the lovely new people I met. It was great fun, and I'm planning to do another one in March 2015. If you'd like to be added to the list, let me know by emailing me. My contact info is here.

It was really exciting for me to have the opportunity to play for (and with) kids ranging in age from 11 months to 5 years. I was joined by three of my current students who did such an amazing job showing their beautiful bowholds, playing Pop! Goes the Weasel, and doing some dancing and clapping. I could not have been more proud, and thankful that they had the opportunity to play in front of a welcoming and supportive group.

We also played with some rhythm instruments, learned about Bach, and danced the minuet. We also learned parts of the violin and bow. We sang The Wheels on the Bus, Old MacDonald, along with some other songs, and in true Suzuki fashion, ended the program with Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

I hope the kids and parents had half as much fun as I did. Teachers - if you're interested in the format, ask questions in the comments below.

This past Monday night, I had the joy of participating in New York's fourth annual Dîner en Blanc, an elegant picnic of about 5000 New Yorkers dressed in white. I was asked by a good friend from The Brooklyn Symphony to play viola in a quartet to a few songs at the event.

I didn't know much about Le Dîner en Blanc before actually attending. It started in Paris in 1988 and has since spread to other cities. People dressed in white as a way to recognize the people who were meeting each other. (Obviously now given the size of the event we have to come up with other ways to identify our friends!) The location is a secret until attendees actually arrive there. Everyone is dressed in white clothing, and everyone brings their own table, white table linens, china, chairs, and glassware. Groups gather at different assigned meeting points around the city, and are led to the secret location by a group leader.

Luckily for me and my broken foot, the meeting place that I was assigned to was only a short distance from the actual picnic destination. Past locations have been Bryant Park and Lincoln Center. This year, the group was led to Rockefeller Park in Battery Park City. The space had a lovely view of the water.

Once we arrived, everyone quickly set up their tables and chairs, complete with decorations, some with candles, elaborate centerpieces, etc. It was neat to see how creative people were able to be within the guidelines of the event. There were performances by opera singers, DJs, and an electric violinist.

The meal kicks off with an announcement and everyone waves their napkins in the air. At that time, my friend Abigail and I ran (well, more like hobbled) over to my other friends and we set up the quartet. Our group played a few waltzes and other tunes while people started their meals. Abigail took some lovely pictures, and you can also scroll through this link to the Gothamist article about the event, and you'll see a photo of us there, too.

After we played, we went back to our tables and ate. The picnic turned into a dance party as the lights went down, and it was fun to see all the glowing headpieces and other things people were wearing.

I also wanted to give a special shout-out to Suzanna over at Stems Flower Shop for the gorgeous flower crown. Her arrangements are always so unique and beautiful. I felt like a viola-playing elf princess and loved it. I wish I could wear one every day!

This was a lot of fun - you never know quite where playing an instrument will take you! I'm looking forward to next year, and already planning my outfit!